February, 2011

I love seeing how warm and happy my little baby looks when she is all
snapped into a cozy sleeper, I just don’t always love doing the snapping. Those little snaps can be a huge pain in the @#*! To avoid this hassle you can get your baby into some Magnificent Baby magnetic closure clothes.

How many times have you been to the beach or taken your kids to a sand box and seen forgotten beach toys littering the place? These toys can be so much fun for children (and adults), but often end up forgotten on the beach, trashed when outgrown or broken from over use and then trashed. Zoë b biodegradable beach toys leave behind less plastic waste.

Russian industrial designer, Olga Kalugina, has a darned clever design
for a portable multi-purpose dryer. It's the kind of dryer you need
when you've come into your home after being swept up and soaked by a
storm.

Star Wars everything is popular once again, from gadgets to action figures to playing cards to - you guessed it - bath robes. Now you too can look like a Jedi Master when heading to your bedroom from the shower or getting the morning paper.

The masked art crusader known as "Banksy" was a no-show at two back-to-back award shows, where his documentary "Exit Through The Gift Shop" was nominated. While Thierry Guetta (one of the featured stars in the movie) accepted on Banksy's behalf at the the Independent Spirit Awards, February 25, and Justin Timberlake joked that he was the real "Banksy' at the 83rd Academy Awards
two nights later, the iconic graffiti artist was incognito. However, in
social media circles - like his street art - he has definitely left
his mark.

The China International Search and Rescue Team, or CISAR for short, has a two-fold mission: to assist in natural disaster relief at home and abroad, and to put a helpful, friendly face on Chinese diplomacy.

What elegance comes to light when Spanish lighting designer Vibia is
inspired! Known for clean lines and innovative technology, Vibia has now
brought out perhaps the cleanest of lines in the rim of light called
Halley Lamp.

Watson may not know that Toronto isn't located in Canada, but Retrevo
has designed similar artificial intelligence to analyze more than 50
million real-time data points to provide shoppers with the most
comprehensive, unbiased information regarding what consumer electronics
to purchase. In an interview I conducted with Aditya Vailaya, Retrevo's
chief scientist, we gain insight as to how AI is being used in this
field.

Popular deal-of-the-day website Groupon's embarrassing New Year's 'Osechi Ryori' meal mess-up was about to fade from Japan's fast-moving pop culture radar. Not so fast - the phenomenal food fail has been spun - literally - into a t-shirt by an enterprising and opportunistic designer.

Pets, like people, can suffer from cognitive dysfunction as they age,
and their symptoms can be very similar to those of humans with
Alzheimer's disease. Not a happy thought, is it? But there are ways
you can prevent or, at least, delay pet 'dementia.'

Do you remember Bonne Bell from your childhood? Well, the company has
teamed up with soda and candy manufacturers that make flavorful goodies
like Coke, Skittles, and even M&M's. Bonne Bell uses their
flavorings to create a large variety of no-calorie, yummy lip balms called Lip
Smackers. Don't we all get chapped lips?

One can't argue that the gaming industry has produced its fair share of innovative products. Video games have changed a lot since the days of pong - the technological advances on this list are among the chief innovations that have propelled us from Pac Man to Crysis, and beyond.

About 25 percent of mothers develop hemorrhoids as a direct result of vaginal births. This week a patented device called Hem-Avert® Perianal Stabilizer was
approved for use during labor and vaginal childbirth by the U.S. Food
and Drug Administration (FDA). Test results indicate that the device does what it claims to do....

If you've seen really high quality audio and visual technology dressed
in slick, sleek, tomorrow design, then you have an idea of what Ashcraft
Design is about. From high end speaker systems enrobed in modern
mahogany to polished steel video encasements, Ashcraft Design is what catches
your eye, not your ear.

Was it any wonder, with 'The Social Network'
movie nominated for 'best picture,' that social media would come center
stage at the 83rd Academy Awards? At the Kodak Theatre on Hollywood
Boulevard, February 27, big brands are attaching themselves to celebs
and are capitalizing on their Facebook and Twitter pages to hype
activities leading up to and at the event.

Think we're having a housing crisis? Then consider the case of Xiao Du, a 17-year-old girl from Xian, China, who lives in a public bathroom. On the bright side, at least she has a bed, a TV, and most important: an electric fan.

Plastic bags are made with oil. So, why not recycle littered plastic back into oil? Akinoir Ito didn't think it would be very difficult and gave it a try. As a result he created a plastic to oil conversion machine.

Have you ever noticed that twinkle in kids’ eyes when they order off the
children’s menu and are served their food in a special box? They
delight in unpacking it and checking out all of the contents. With the Chew Chew Train by Urban Trend you can create special kid meals at home.

A superb studio seater, the Pipeline was designed by an American
treasure, Harry Allen, for the Spanish design firm, Dune. Perfect for
group seating in large spaces, there are plenty of ways to configure the
modular 'pipes.'

Sometimes you think you’ve heard it all. The next thing you know you
come across something like this – Breast Milk Ice Cream! Yes, just in
time for the upcoming spring/summer weather a restaurant owner in London
has decided to serve up a creamy frozen treat made from human breast
milk.

The new Scratch & Track map concept from Yuree S. Lim is designed to give travelers a way to not only find their destination but remember just what they did when they got there- and then take it home as a souvenir!

Scientists from China studying fossils of Diania Cactiformis, nicknamed the 'walking cactus', say the odd worm-like animal is enlightening them on how arthropods (insects, spiders and crustaceans) evolved their jointed legs.

Looking for luck in all the wrong places? Tired of those run-of-the-mill four-leaf clovers and their laughable lack of luck? Then step right up, my friend, and feast your wondering eyes upon Philip J. Fry's fondest fixation, the 7-Leaf Clover Cell Phone Charm!

Anatoly Konenko has created a miniature for the living - an aquarium; the world's smallest
aquarium that can contain fish. Wait until you see how small it really is and how Konenko has put it together.

Joseph Tame is taking social media to the streets – literally – with something he likes to call 'iRun'. Tame intends to wear the 'World's Most Advanced Mobile Social Media Studio' on February 27, 2011, when he stands on the starting line of the Tokyo marathon. I just have one question... Is it safe?

There are people who are absolutely
terrified of visiting the dentist and all that that entails. Luckily for all of us with dentist fears there may be some help on the
way. Some London researchers have developed a device that cancels out
the sound of a dentist’s drill.

Semi-nomadic tribesmen who raise yaks in the highlands of Tibet once thought their traditional lifestyle was doomed. Now a pilot project centered on yak cheese has boosted incomes, employment and educational opportunities.

Intel's had a very interesting idea in practise for the last few years, known as the "Tick Tock" method. For those who don't know a lot about computers, their explanation of it is...hazy, at best. No worries, though- it'll be explained, in full, so even someone who's not in computer science can understand.

Vitamin D has been shown to decrease risk for breast cancer, colon
cancer, fractures, multiple sclerosis and Type 1 diabetes. The question
is 'How much vitamin D is needed to cut risk?' Researchers at the
University of California, San Diego (UCSD) have estimated those levels.

I think the last medical consensus, based on the latest research study
at the time, was that alcohol was not good for your heart. I could be
wrong; all I know is that the answers have varied from yes to no to yes to no to more studies are necessary.
Two comprehensive studies of the latest studies were published
yesterday in the British Medical Journal; let's see what they say....

New solar technolgy developed by a partnership of Amonix and the U.S. Department of National Renewable Energy Laboratory promises to double energy production by utilizing space-grade technology. The 7700 Concentrated Photovoltaic Solar Power Generator is also less expensive and less land-intensive than traditional PV solar technologies.

Who do we love most? Polls report it's our pets. And who do we see as superheros? Pets Are Superheros. And that's the name of the online company that will illustrate your pet as a superhero for just 25 bucks and a photo.

I previously reported on a countertop cupcake maker and on an individual pie maker. The newest device of this sort that I have come across is a Donut Hole Maker
by Nostalgia Electrics. This baby allows you to whip up seven
tasty little morsels of donutty goodness at a time.

The German lighting design company, Benwirth Licht, has come up with a clever, modular design, which can make you unsure whether you're looking at a lighting design or at a stove top with all its burners on.

British and Canadian researchers have identified an oncogene that is responsible for a particularly aggressive form of breast cancer. According to the report, the oncogene ZNF703 - onco meaning tumor or mass - becomes active in one out of 12 breast cancers.

Every good Star Trek fan loves a great Blood Wine but unless you're at least half Klingon, opening it without a corkscrew is not really a good idea. Never fear, weakling - the Klingon Bird of Prey corkscrew is here to rescue you.

Presbycusis,
or age-related hearing loss, affects two aspects of hearing; volume and
clarity. Amplification provided by a hearing aid increases the volume
of all sounds, but the sounds that benefit most from amplification are
vowel sounds. Consonant sounds also become louder, but not necessarily
more clear.

If you’ve ever taken your car in to one of those do-it-yourself type car
washes you know that doing a pressurized pre-wash can help to loosen
the grime build-up and ultimately give your vehicle a cleaner look in
the end. Well, apparently the same can be done for your teeth.

Recently a study was published in the science journal PLoS ONE in which
genetically modified sheep were put to various discrimination tests, and
their performance was compared to that of non-modified sheep of the
common variety, Ovis aries. On the way to developing a possible
treatment for Huntington's disease, the researchers discovered that
sheep are really very smart!

Prior to now, it has been almost impossible to track latent prints from
discharged cartridge cases. But a new invention in the field of
forensics technology was unveiled last week that will send uncaptured criminals scrambling, for it has the technology to reveal fingerprints
on spent bullet cartridges.

I won't iron. I hate to iron. Luckily, I don't need to iron much for my job, but my husband does. He hates to iron too. So, he takes his clothes to the dry cleaner. This gets expensive and isn't eco-friendly. Maybe the new eco-friendly self-charging Phillips iron will change our minds about ironing.

Apparently the hundred year-old practice of
measuring blood pressure with a cuff will end soon, when a revolutionary
new device will be available to give more accurate blood pressure
readings. Does that make you nervous too?

.... Ezri Tarazi was in the Israeli military. Clearly, his battle experiences had a profound effect upon him, as they would anyone in or near battle. Industrial designer by career though, Tazari has repurposed his military souvenirs into designs for the home. They are now in a one-person installation, called Kaleb, at the Paradigm Design Gallery in Jerusalem.

One of the worst things about going to college - not that there's a lot of bad in the whole experience - is the cost of textbooks. You know and I know that in college you dish out hundreds or thousands each year for books that you may only need a couple of chapters from, and that will no longer be required the next year. There are a number of businesses that have surfaced in the last couple of years that have been focused on capturing this market, but one has particularly taken advantage.

Mat Johnson worked with high technology innovators before and was a
specialist in communication theory. What challenged him was to find a
way to address the humanitarian need for medical interpreters in
critical care situations. His solution, a handheld 100 language-speaking
medical translation device called the Phrazer.

If you have diabetes, or any other disease that requires close monitoring, there's a new development that may keep you from constantly interrupting your routine to conduct self-monitoring or going to a laboratory for regular testing. It's affectionately called a microworm, and it's capable of not only monitoring, say your glucose levels, but emitting a fluorescent glow, or 'tatoo,' through your skin to show you when you need to be concerned. Pretty cool...

One of the most important developments in cancer treatment has been
accomplished by medical researchers in Australia and India. They created
the world's first chemical missile, an RNA binding molecule that shoots straight for the root of a cancer and won't let go.

First coined by the Egyptian Google marketing manager Wael
Ghonim, the term "Revolution 2.0" is used to describe the new
grass-roots strategies and tactics used by protesters initially in Egypt
- but that which became pervasive throughout the entire Middle East
Region. In fighting against despotic rule, people were demanding
democracy, regime change and a voice in their respective governments.

DUO is a three-wheeled, 2-passenger electric vehicle from Meyers Motors that doesn't use gasoline OR oil. Innovative, eco-friendly, and interesting to look at as this "electric motorcycle" may be, the release date keeps getting pushed back despite the company's encouragement to pre-order now for $24,995.

Mornings can be very chaotic and many of us can’t imagine facing the day without our morning cup of coffee. The Smart Pot To Go Portable Heating Appliance allows you to boil water
in your car. Sure, it sounds pretty dangerous to be boiling water while
you are driving your car, but when you’re desperate you take your
chances I guess.

It has been a really long while since I've posted anything about eco-friendly chairs. So, here is a chair I would like to add to my list of favorite eco-friendly chairs I believe deserve to be noticed as much as possible. This chair's design is collaboration between Emiliano Godoy and Ecoist.

Designers James Auger and Jimmy Loizeau recently presented their carnivorous robots. Fly-eating wall clocks and mouse-eating coffee tables use the carcasses of their prey to generate electricity. Animal activists, beware - these inventions are not vegetarians!

Internet stars have successfully used the YouTube platform to catapult
their careers from oblivion to mega-super-stardom. In this category,
Justin Bieber was probably the most successful. In return, YouTube's
ad revenues have skyrocketed every time a new YouTube 'star was born.'
However not content to just be an incubation tank for potential talent
to go viral, YouTube has now chosen to go after established celebrities
that have already made it and are wiling to offer them lucrative
contracts to create their own celebrity-branded channels on their
network.

Ouch! Is she really twisting these sunglasses without a crack in the
frame or the lense? The 'Uncrushable Sunglasses' write-up says she is,
and furthermore that these glasses are not some sort of magician's prop.

A mysterious “Sweeping Old Lady” has stormed Chinese social media circles to become the first notable cyber figure of 2011. Quick to share her wisdom with those who work diligently, this virtual charwoman might seem lowly but, as in real life, appearances can be deceptive.

I feel like I'm writing headlines for one of the shocker tabloids, but
the above lead just happens to be very real and very significant to bald humans. Scientists at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and the Veterans Administration (VA) did discover a chemical compound that caused hair regrowth in mice with alopecia, but they were testing the compound on the mouse digestive system.

Swedish sisters Linda and Jona Netsman have a great talent for
repurposing old furniture and odds and ends and totally recreating new
purposeful items. Their design studio, Leftovers, produces one of a kind
furniture and lighting objects that are very emotionally evocative,
something that one doesn't find in most furniture or lighting designs. I
chose a few of the somewhat creepy ones to share with you.

InventorSpot.com is excited to announce that a new writer is joining our team.

Jamie Reygle is a teacher at a small independent school, and was a
music writer and radio announcer in a past life. He writes about great
ideas in order to avoid having a head full of them driving him insane.
Jamie also lives - and works - on a farm.

Jamie's
blog Creativity Proclivity will be about the most creative great ideas
he can find from around the world to share with InventorSpot.com
readers.

DSLR video technology appeals to filmmakers on a budget but the versatility of the cameras make them worthy of large-budget productions as well. More shots taken by DSLRs are appearing on the big screen all the time, and as directors begin to recognize the versatility inherent in DSLRs, we are likely to see more of the compact cameras on movie sets in the future.

This year has been a momentous one for the Facebook founder. Having been portrayed in an award-winning movie, satirized in a graphic novel and on SNL, in addition to being named Time's Person of the Year,
he's entered a stratosphere most CEOs twice his age haven't been able
to achieve. So it's no surprise, that President Obama might want to
consider sitting down with the wunderkind to discuss tech innovation and
potential job creation.

I was shocked to learn that this beautiful Crystal Bubble by Pierre Staphane
Dumas was a real inhabitable bubble, and not just a design for a
bubble. Indeed, Dumas has made a business out of renting Crystal Bubbles
and other members of his BubbleTree collection. Of course, if you would
like to buy one, you could stay there longer than a night or two...

Parents of young web-surfers may want to look into using the KidZui
browser. It is made specifically for children to use and allows kids to
look up millions of things, all per-approved by the KidZui panel which
includes parents and teachers.

Canon and Nikon are generally seen as
the forerunners of still imaging in DSLR cameras, but as HD video is
introduced to the world of DSLR, Panasonic and Sony are making
interesting offers as well. As of early 2011, The latest cameras offered by Canon, Nikon, Panasonic and Sony are the best DSLRs for capturing HD video -- and can be purchased for a fraction of the price of other video-capable DSLR cameras.

Cells that lie deep in the hypothalamus, known to be linked to violent behavior in male mice, were
shown, with the help of fluorescent tags, to be intertwined with cells
active during sex. Could a mix-up in these cells be responsible for
violent sexual behavior in some human males?

In the year that led up to the production of the movie 'The Social Network,'
it was reported widely that Zuckerberg was outraged that an
unauthorized portrayal of his life was making its way to the big screen.
However, if he was so inclined, defamation of character suits are difficult cases to win in a court of law. Unless 'malice' is shown as
intent, most of these suits never succeed. Product placement on the
other is another story entirely.

The severe climate of Afghanistan is sure to be hard on human skin, but it is also very damaging to dogs. That's why Pet Postcard
Project included DERMagic Skin Care for Animals in care packages to military dog
handlers in Afghanistan.

The Beaba Babypote is an ultra squeezable silicone container with a snap on top that allows
for easy filling. Parents can put all kinds of messy snacks like yogurt, pudding, fruit purees, etc.
into the Babypote, pop on the lid and give them to their preschoolers without the fear of horrible spills.

It is important to preserve nerves during surgery, because any
interference with them could lead to serious complications such as
urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction (during prostate surgery),
pain, numbness, weakness, or paralysis. Though electromyography is used to
identify the most prominent nerves, the thin or buried nerves may be
overlooked with these methods.

Just when I thought I'd tasted the best of them, two entrepreneurs from Oregon go and find a unique cacoa bean in Peru, which has not been used in chocolate making for more than 100 years, and is reputed to be the unsurpassed best ever chocolate in the world.

Similar to the Ashton Kutcher-CNN-Larry King challenge
on Twitter last year, Oreos, the venerable 89-year-old cookie company wants to
set a Guiness World Record for the "most LIKES on Facebook within a
24-hour period." Unfortunately the cookie with the frosting everyone
likes to lick off, might be knocked out of the competition by the
mega-selling hip-hop rapper named Lil Wayne.

Water, water everywhere and not a drop to live in - well, maybe not. Evolo's 2011 Skyscraper Competition gave the hO2+ Scraper an honorable mention for its positive impact on the environment as well as the concept of taking the land-loving skyscrapers to the sea. These underwater, floating structures use wind, solar, wave, kinetic, and bio energy sources for powering an underwater metropolis.

You might have already heard about the Angry Birds video game when it reached the number one spot at the iTunes App Store, but its developers have amped up the ante by bringing the game to your PC. Help the angry birds exact their revenge on the evil pigs with this chillingly addictive game!

An entry into the 2011 iF Concept Design contest, the H3 Vest by Martin Gschwandtl aims at not only making a work zone safer but making workers in that zone more productive using artificial muscle technology.

Well the iPods
did it - why can't the iPhone. Particularly since Android is upping the
ante in producing their own iPhone clone, at less cost. Steve Jobs and
Apple have always been aggressive in slowing the advance of the
competition. Anyone that can potentially steal marketshare
and has the chutzpah to think they can build a 'cheaper and smaller'
iPhone is going to get whacked in the trying. That's Apple's job (no pun
intended).

Get to play god in the latest chapter of the Virtual Villagers video game series that takes you to a new part on the island of Isola. It's inhabited by unfriendly masked heathens who threaten the very survival of your villagers on their territory. Can you make the heathens believe before it's too late?

If you spend most of your day typing away at a computer or do a lot of
heavy lifting then your fingers probably get sore and strained. It would be great to have a personal hand massager standing by for whenever your fingers start to get a little tired. Well, this may actually be possible. The DanBall Finger Massager is a small, round shiatsu massager for the fingers.

In 2009, Michael Cima,
professor of materials science and engineering, and his MIT team
created an implantable sensoring device capable of detecting and
monitoring cancer. This week, another version of that device was
presented that can detect whether a patient has had a heart attack and
its severity. This will help diagnose the 30 percent of heart attack
victims for whom there are no symptoms.

A new California bill proposes the installation of piezoelectric energy-generating technology for the state's many highways. This technology uses the vibration of cars driving on the road to generate energy that can be converted to electricity.

If you want to check out 2011's hottest toys, look no further. The 11th
annual Toy Of The Year Awards (TOTYs) were presented last night at a
shindig marking the 108th American International Toy Fair, which opens
today in NYC. The TOTY, for those of you who are superstitious, not
only celebrates its 11th year anniversary in 2011, but it awarded 11 prizes in 11 different categories, plus the overall best toy that received the Toy Of The Year award.

Is the vast science of physics really making its way into video games? Cat Physics features simple but beautiful graphics and offers refreshing gameplay for people young and old. It's an interesting and addictive game that will constantly challenge you to think outside the box.

Recently, we reported the results of the most current Associated Press poll
taken of U.S. residents about their attitudes regarding their lovers versus their pets. This Valentine's Day, a British survey of 3,000 pet
owners reveals how the Brits answer the question: Your lover or your
pet?

Happy Birthday Twitter! Who would have thought 5 years ago when Twitter was dismissed as a
narcissistic forum for those who needed to report what they had for
breakfast, that it would become not only a major communication tool for protesters, but that some day it would actually be wooed by Internet powerhouses, the likes of Facebook and Google?

This is a geek alert for Jeopardy
fans, young and old. Alex Trebek and America will be given a special
treat starting February 14 when IBM's supercomputer "Watson" is pitted
against two of the quiz show's all-time winners - Ken Jennings and Brad
Rutter. It's guaranteed to be a ratings winner for the venerable game
show, which has been on the air since 1964. So, let the games begin,
and shall the best man ... erh, computer win.

It can be incredibly frustrating to be caught in a rainstorm when you are wearing some fabulous footwear. So what can you do about it? Well, you can move to the desert (but your
heels will just get stuck in the sand). You can carry an emergency pair
of boots with you in case you need to change, but that is bulky and
time consuming. A third option is to keep Shuella in your
purse or desk.

When Apple found another distribution
partner in Verizon, it didn't need to do much more than take a step back
and watch the two telecom companies go at each other like two veteran wrestlers in a WWE Smackdown. And like humorist James Thurber's story, "The Catbird Seat," Apple is "sitting pretty, like a batter with three balls and no strikes on him."

Neurobiologists at Stanford University have created a 'broken heart' that actually floats in a petri
dish and beats. The beats are irregular and slow, like the child's
whose skin cells were donated to create the heart. The child has
Timothy syndrome, a rare genetic disease with irregular heart beat as
its most serious characteristic. Children with Timothy syndrome have an
average life span of 2.5 years.

Imagine falling off a ten-story building and living to tell about it. And not tell about it after five years of intensive care and rehabilitation, but in the ambulance on the way to getting checked out. That's what this mountain climber did.

Video-enabled DSLRs are enabling videographers to create video that was previously impossible to create. The advantages of the DSLR for video purposes are numerous, from the professional results to its compact size.

Electric cars of all shapes and forms are the wave of the future. And that includes the highest performing supercars. The Li-Ion Inizio will be the next hot, all-out performance supercar that bears an electric powertrain.

The Urban Dictionary lists "Ridin QWERTY"
as the play on words for "riding dirty," and defines it as the illegal
act of texting while driving - with Q-W-E-R-T-Y being the first 6
letters on any standard keyboard. Philo, a new social networking for TV
fans is taking that concept off-road and moving it into your living room
or home office. Commencing on Valentines Day, check your local listings
and start 'ridin QWERTY" from your favorite 'coach potato' perch.

How often is a lamp inspired by an insect and a deep sea fish? Would you expect such a lamp to exude the elegance of the Stick lamps? Designer Todd Bracher makes biomimetic design look like a walking stick in the park.

Back pain is the most common health complaint in the world. It seems
that nearly everyone you know has, or has had, back problems, whether they
come from swinging a golf club, falling off a curb, or sitting at a desk all day.

When visitors show up at your door, what does your dog do? Mine, and
many others', want to say hello to them, usually by jumping up on them
incessantly until they give him the 'proper' hello. But some dogs use the
visitors as an excuse for taking off - off your premises all
together....

Help I Need Help offers medications (like ibuprofen and sleep aids) as well as health supplies (like bandages) that come in eco-friendly packages. Made from compostable materials such as paper pulp and corn, the straightforward, light-hearted doesn't want to just help you feel better but the planet, too.

New Energy Technologies Inc.
is developing the "first-of-its-kind" solar spray. "SolarWindow" is said by the company to enable "see-through windows to generate
electricity by 'spraying' their glass surfaces with New Energy's
electricity-generating coating." The film generates 300% more electricity than leading technologies and is 1/10 the thickness of former sprays, allowing for full transparency of windows.

So many inventors are frustrated by lack of
funds to obtain a patent, prototyping, manufacturing and marketing. For
those of you who have been in this depressing relationship with the
next great invention, perhaps you will get some inspiration from Bernie
Graham, the originator of the PadPivot.

Strange items that you can put on your head or face to get away with sleeping in public comfortably will never get old much to the appreciation of the latest innovation, Wrap A Nap. This latest addition to the world of sleep-friendly headwear will block out the light and keep you comfortable, all while protecting your head (you know, if you're one of those who bumps into things a lot)!

If each one of us uses six liters of water every time we wash our hands, as the designers of 1ℓimit(One
Liter Limit) faucet cite, then the 1ℓimit faucet needs to be installed
in every bathroom in the world. 1ℓimit is not just a clever means of
water conservation, it's a sweetheart of a design!

It's nice to read that allergies are actually beneficial to
allergy sufferers in some way. According to a study reported in this
month's issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, the
more allergies you have, the less likely you are to get brain cancer!

As much as been written about Google lacking the social networking gene,
it's ironic that one of Google's executives used social media as his
weapon of choice in rallying demonstrators on the streets of Cairo.
While Google's "Don't' Be Evil" stance on oppressive countries offered
up their Speak2Tweet voice messaging service, their Middle East manager
Wael Ghonim became so vocal on Twitter and Facebook that he was actually
detained by Egyptian authorities for 12 days in captivity

Well those wacky ‘beauty’ gadgets from Japan just get wackier all the
time. The newest one that I came across is the Beauty Lift High Nose. From what I can tell this odd
looking little contraption is supposed to give users that extra snooty,
nose-in-the-air look without the need for cosmetic surgery.

Nothing like a diet orange to wash down some barbecue spare ribs, french fries, and buttered biscuits, heh?
Or a Diet Coke with your Mac & Cheese? If this sounds like your
idea of saving calories, you're a lot like millions of Americans, who
believe that because diet soda has no calories, it can't be bad for your
diet. You're wrong.

Two storied franchises. One big game. And the biggest audience of all time. It's all an advertiser's dream. And auto manufacturers didn't miss out. Car companies were among the most celebrated Super Bowl advertisers.

Have you ever wondered what the Ancient Greek marble statue called the Venus de Milo would look like in her original, complete form? The creative types at the Japanese Internet forum 2channel decided to arm the iconic statue, literally, and the results may (or may not) surprise you.

Social layers are a tricky thing for online news site. Both the Wall Street Journal and USA Today have failed in their attempts, and Eric Schmidt, the now deposed CEO of Google may have lost his job because of it. Mark Zuckerberg back in December admonished Schmidt's attempt at socializing Google with the quip, "Social is not a layer you add- you have to design it from the ground up." Nonetheless, Mashable has thrown their hat into the social ring, complete with badges to boot!

Childhood obesity ranged from 23 to 44 percent in 2007, depending on the state of residence. Those rates were 10 percent higher than they were in 2003. So, it is not surprising that public health and pediatricians, among others, are investigating many ways to control what has reached epidemic proportions.

Belgian designers Jérôme Spriet and Wolfgang Bregentzer have a great
concept for a combination coffee table, speaker system, and docking
station. It's the Acoustable (acoustic table), where you surround the sound. And, it's a giant docking system, so others can plug in too... provided they bring their own headphones.

Italians don't create many products without style, and pet products are no exception, especially to IMAC,
an Italian company with a mission to make pet products with artisan
spirit, care, and passion. I fell hard for Imac's Ciottoli dog and cat
bowls....

Recent rumors indicate that Bugatti may be getting bigger in the future. And for once, it's not in the engine. VW's exclusive, ultra-expensive sports brand will be adding a premium sedan to its tiny line.

Kindle owners, or those about to purchase, get ready for feature updates
for the latest generation Kindle and Kindle 3G devices. The free 'Kindle Software Update Version 3.1'
is promoting an early preview release. In an effort to stay current
with the social media milieu we live in, some of the new features are
targeted to our networked communities, within and outside of the Kindle book covers.

The Easy Feet device looks like a sandal, but with suction cups on the
bottom and bristles on the inside. The idea behind the product is that
once it is suctioned to the bottom of the tub a person can thoroughly
wash his/her feet without having to lean over and risk slipping.

How would you imagine your home to look if your walls, floors, window
coverings, chairs, sofas, and interior accessories were made of paper?
Pretty shabby? Well, get a glimpse here of what it would look like
filled with designs made from Woodnotes' paper yarn textiles.

OAT Shoes' new line of sneakers is not only fashionable, it's also both biodegradable and plantable. Once you've worn out these sneaks, you can either throw them away without fears of harming the planet OR you can plant them right in your garden. The exciting line debuted in Amsterdam's International Fashion Week and was a huge hit.

The resurgence in Q&A sites which heretofore were dominated by Yahoo Answers and WikiAnswers are due mainly to the popularity of Facebook and Twitter. Adding a social media component, Quora, Vyou, Stack Exchange
and even Facebook are all testing the waters. However treading the fine
line of scale to include a more broader, mainstream audience while
maintaining a high quality of content is problematic. While more users
attract advertisers - more users have a tendency to dummy down a service - and therein lies the dilemma.

With a newborn in the house I am currently quite sleep deprived. Some
days I feel pretty desperate for anyone or anything that could stop the
crying and soothe my baby off to sleep. While researching possible
solutions I came across a gadget that claims to do just that. The
Easidream is a system meant to calm your baby and lull him/her into a
peaceful sleep by mimicking the motion, sound and light of the womb.

Most inventors have to wait a long time to see their products on the market, if
they ever get there. That''s why two of the critical character traits
of an inventor must be persistence and patience. Dr. John Davis, a
Roanoke, Virginia pediatric dentist, waited 10 years to see his PreVent pacifier on the shelves and online stores of Baby's R Us. That was finally his Super Bowl.

"Living her life like a candle in the wind," may have ended her life at
36, but soon Norma Jean (aka Marilyn Monroe) might have a whole new
career, some 49 years after her death. While many have tried to keep the
iconic image of the 50s star alive through merchandising, no one will
have gone as far as Jamie Salter and his company AuthenticBrands Group. Encouraged by the number of MM's Facebook followers, now close to 400,000, Salter is working on creating a "Digital Monroe."

If you were to search for the meaning of "Hiybbprqag" you might be
surprised by the Google and Bing search results that appear. Top
ranking SERPs (search engine result pages) might surface links like "How
Google Tripped Up Microsoft" or "Did Google catch Bing Cheating." Even
comedian Stephen Colbert has a definition for the word. However, social
networks like Facebook and Twitter, often praised for their real-time
results were slow on the uptake regarding what the heck "Hiybbprqag"
actually means?

Water and other non-carbonated drinks just don’t seem very exciting. No wonder so many people are addicted to drinking soda. With the Twist ‘n Sparkle system you can easily turn most non-carbonated drinks into fizzy ones.

Some rather surprising results from a longitudinal study of older
persons taking bisphosphonates for osteoporosis revealed that they are
outliving those who are not on the drugs... by five years! That's not
all....

Some of us may be snowed in right now; if not, we're waiting for the next storm, and then we'll be snowed in. Well, three years ago, industrial designer John Mosher was snowed in, in Hopington,
Massachusetts,, and he went out with his snow blower to clear the
driveway. It broke down. A 160 foot driveway is tough to clear with a
shovel, and Mosher made it half way when he said that's it! The rest made shovel history!

With social media going dark in Egypt and with proposed legislature before the U.S. Congress to institute a similar "Kill Switch,"
is it any wonder that when Hosni Mubarak decided to turn off the
Internet, that not only would 'all hell would break loose,' but that his
country would incur a major economic hit.

What is a former child genius, who studied math, geophysics, space
physics, mathematical economics, cosmology, and quantum field theories
(among other things), an inventor, a world renowned nature and wildlife
photographer, and a former chief technology officer for Microsoft
doing in an experimental modernist kitchen? Making shots of liquid
bagel, of course!

When you want to see what creative custom lighting looks like, visit
Fire Farm Lighting. Lighting designer with its own designs of
off-the-shelf chandeliers and lamps, the company just goes nuts when it comes to custom creativity. My favorite is Fire Farm's Dancing Feet Chandelier - aka 'Sock-delier!'

Crude glycerol is an unfortunate byproduct of biofuel manufacturing. Biofuels are otherwise a positive contribution to the green scene, and fortunately a solution for the crude glycerol issue is being researched. A bacteria has recently been discovered to digest the byproduct, resulting in some very exciting alternatives to conventional fuels.

Who needs to pay bloggers anymore, when semantic algorithms can
accomplish the same task with quicker results and with more thorough
research? As quickly as bloggers surfaced with the evolution of the Web
2.0, the semantic technology content of the emerging Web 3.0 era is
beginning to emerge to take its place. Transforming minefields of data
into high-quality editorial, at scale, and without human authoring or
editing is ready to revolutionize the future of publishing.

A new bioengineering technique for creating 'off the shelf' blood vessels was unveiled today in the journal Science Translational Medicine.
Researchers believe their technique might one day obviate the need to
use the patient's own blood vessels to replace those that are not
functioning, specifically in heart by-pass and hemodialysis surgeries, saving as many as 500,000 lives a year in the U.S. alone.

Well, it’s February now and a great number of people who made New
Year’s resolutions have already let them go for another year. On the healthier eating front there is a kitchen gadget that can
eliminate a lot of the guesswork for measuring oil. The Press and Measure Dispenser by Grant Howard simplifies the process and takes away the opportunity for denial.

Two years ago, the world wondered how a newly-elected president like Barack Obama could
qualify and win the Nobel Peace Prize. Even the president questioned
the honor. This year, that same president might also question why WikiLeaks
is now a candidate for that same distinction. Moreover, in a year that
couldn't get enough of Facebook, could that honor go to a dark horse,
like the world's largest social network?

German designer Christian Haas has introduced twisted lamps. They're
made of rope. Not the fibrous, thorny kind of rope used to tie up
bundles for shipping, but soft, silky, textile ropes. Ropes you want to reach
out and touch....

From the ScentSciences corporation comes a new dimension in multimedia and gaming experiences: smell. Thanks to the Scent Scape you can get ready to breathe deeply and add your nostrils to the list of things engaged during your viewing experience.

Perhaps money can't buy you love, but it's been known to buy you friends on Facebook. Webtrends's
white paper analysis of Facebook ad campaigns found that the cost of
advertising on the social network that attracts users to fan pages now
costs $1.07. However out of 11,200 ad campaigns which totaled 4.5
billion impressions the average click-through rate dropped from 0.063
percent last year to 0.051 percent in 2010.

How would you like a pet service that doesn't cost you more than not
having a pet service? Hard to find these days. Well, now you can get
almost any dog or cat food that your pets eat through such a service.
The company is called Petflow and it ships your pet's food right to your home for
less than it would cost you to purchase it at a pet store, without the inconvenience.

C Dots, or Cornell Dots, named for the
university where they were first developed, have received approval from
the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA)... to be used in a
human clinical trial. The C Dots were first developed as optical probes, but
have since been adapted for use as cancer cell trackers, assisting both
the diagnosis and targeted treatment of cancer cells.

Two years ago, when the deluge of the bedbug became the scourge of the day, Chris Goggin,
a mechanical engineer, wondered if he could create a machine as
sensitive to odors as a dog. The particular sensitivity would be to the
pheromones emitted by bedbugs.

If you can't afford furniture and have to sit on cardboard boxes, I
think we can find something a bit more elegant for you. Many
furniture designs are made from paper these days. Like Pulp Furniture,
for example; the unique thing about it is that its shapes are so
familiar... but not to furniture!

February is upon us, which means it's time to celebrate our hate
love for our significant others by being nice to them for one day of the year.
Of course, if you don't buy into the whole "one day of romance for 364 days of
loathing," or if you just plain hate your partner, these gifts are sure to get
your special day of torment off to a great start.

As concern mounts as to why Facebook spent $130,000 on lobbyists in the 4th quarter, and why Google dropped $5.16 million for the same purpose in 2010, many of us feel that these efforts were purely for monetary gain. With behaviorally-targeted marketing a result of Web searches, LIKE buttons and GPS functionality, not only do Internet companies and social networks want your private data, so does the government.

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